Toilet bowl cleaning trough device

ABSTRACT

A toilet bowl cleaning trough device catches overspill while plunging a plugged toilet. The device includes an outer wall, an inner wall, and a bottom wall defining a trough. The trough is curved defining a front section and a pair of opposed side sections such that the trough is configured for being positioned to extend around a toilet bowl. A seal is coupled to the trough coextensive with a top edge of the inner wall for preventing liquid from passing between the toilet bowl and the trough. A support is coupled to and extends between the side sections of the trough for supporting the trough on the toilet bowl adjacent to and extending around an upper edge of the toilet bowl.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE Field of the Disclosure

The disclosure relates to trough devices and more particularly pertains to a new trough device for catching overspill while plunging a plugged toilet.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising an outer wall, an inner wall, and a bottom wall defining a trough. The trough is curved defining a front section and a pair of opposed side sections such that the trough is configured for being positioned to extend around a toilet bowl. A seal is coupled to the trough coextensive with a top edge of the inner wall for preventing liquid from passing between the toilet bowl and the trough. A support is coupled to and extends between the side sections of the trough for supporting the trough on the toilet bowl adjacent to and extending around an upper edge of the toilet bowl.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top front side perspective view of a toilet bowl cleaning trough device according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of an embodiment of the disclosure taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the disclosure taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 3 thereof, a new trough device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3, the toilet bowl cleaning trough device 10 generally comprises an outer wall 12 and an inner wall 14 positioned in spaced relationship to the outer wall 12. A bottom wall 16 is coupled to and extends between the outer wall 12 and the inner wall 14 defining a trough 18 with the outer wall 12 and the inner wall 14. The trough 18 is curved defining a front section 20 of the trough 18 and a pair of opposed side sections 22 of the trough 18 such that the trough 18 is configured for being positioned to extend around a toilet bowl 26. The outer wall 12 has an outwardly curved portion 28 defining a spout 30 configured for facilitating emptying of liquid from the trough 18. The spout 30 is positioned in the front section 20 of the trough 18.

A seal 34 is coupled to the trough 18. The seal 34 is coextensive with a top edge 36 of the inner wall 14 wherein the seal 34 is configured for preventing liquid from passing between the toilet bowl 26 and the trough 18. Thus, the trough 18 is positioned to catch and collect overspill from the toilet bowl 26 as a person plunges the toilet bowl 26 to remove a clog.

Each of a pair of spaced parallel supports 38 is coupled to and extends between the side sections 22 of the trough 18 wherein the supports 38 are configured for supporting the trough 18 on the toilet bowl 26 adjacent to and extending around an upper edge 40 of the toilet bowl 26. Each of a pair of handles 42 is positioned on a respective one of the supports 38.

A top edge 44 of the outer wall 12 is horizontally offset above the top edge 36 of the inner wall 14 wherein a top portion 46 of the outer wall 12 defines a lip 48 extending around the trough 18 to inhibit overspill from passing over the trough 18 and promotes collection of the overspill into the trough 18. The lip 48 may be incorporated into the spout 30 or have a notch therein aligned with the front section 20 of the trough to define the spout 30.

The trough 18, supports 38 and handles 42 may be unitary and constructed of rubber, plastic, or the like to be easily cleaned and sanitized after use. The device 10 may be produced in variations in which the specific shape of the trough 18 varies to be complementary to various shapes of toilet bowls. While useful in an individual home, the device 10 is designed for use particularly in multiple unit housing facilities where the size and shape of the toilet bowl 26 is consistent throughout multiple bathrooms of the multiple units. Thus, the device 10 saves time and effort by reducing the need for extensive cleanup of the bathroom floor due to overspill when clearing a clogged toilet.

In use, the trough 18 is positioned on the toilet bowl 26 allowing the seal 34 to contact the toilet bowl 26. A conventional plunger or similar device is inserted into the toilet bowl 26 between the supports 38 and used in a conventional manner but for a lessened need to cautiously manipulate the plunger to avoid spilling contents out of the toilet bowl 26 and onto a floor. The trough 18 catches and retains overspill. When the clog is removed, the handles 42 may be gripped to remove the trough 18 from the toilet bowl 26. The trough may be manipulated to pour any caught overspill back into the toilet bowl 26 through the spout 30. The trough 18 may be rinsed and sanitized as needed.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements. 

I claim:
 1. A toilet bowl cleaning trough device comprising: an outer wall; an inner wall positioned in spaced relationship to said outer wall; a bottom wall coupled to and extending between said outer wall and said inner wall defining a trough with said outer wall and said inner wall, said trough being curved defining a front section of said trough and a pair of opposed side sections of said trough such that said trough is configured for being positioned to extend around a toilet bowl; a seal coupled to said trough, said seal being coextensive with a top edge of said inner wall wherein said seal is configured for preventing liquid from passing between the toilet bowl and the trough; and a support coupled to and extending between said side sections of said trough wherein said support is configured for supporting said trough on the toilet bowl adjacent to and extending around an upper edge of the toilet bowl.
 2. The device of claim 1, further comprising said outer wall having an outwardly curved portion defining a spout configured for facilitating emptying of liquid from said trough.
 3. The device of claim 2, further comprising said spout being positioned in said front section of said trough.
 4. The device of claim 1, further comprising a handle coupled to said support.
 5. The device of claim 1, further comprising said support being one of a pair of spaced parallel supports.
 6. The device of claim 5, further comprising a pair of handles, each of said handles being positioned on a respective one of said supports.
 7. The device of claim 1, further comprising a top edge of said outer wall being horizontally offset above said upper edge of said inner wall wherein a top portion of said outer wall defines a lip extending around said trough.
 8. A toilet bowl cleaning trough device comprising: an outer wall; an inner wall positioned in spaced relationship to said outer wall; a bottom wall coupled to and extending between said outer wall and said inner wall defining a trough with said outer wall and said inner wall, said trough being curved defining a front section of said trough and a pair of opposed side sections of said trough such that said trough is configured for being positioned to extend around a toilet bowl, said outer wall having an outwardly curved portion defining a spout configured for facilitating emptying of liquid from said trough, said spout being positioned in said front section of said trough; a seal coupled to said trough, said seal being coextensive with a top edge of said inner wall wherein said seal is configured for preventing liquid from passing between the toilet bowl and the trough; and a pair of spaced parallel supports, each said support being coupled to and extending between said side sections of said trough wherein said supports are configured for supporting said trough on the toilet bowl adjacent to and extending around an upper edge of the toilet bowl; a pair of handles, each of said handles being positioned on a respective one of said supports; and a top edge of said outer wall being horizontally offset above said upper edge of said inner wall wherein a top portion of said outer wall defines a lip extending around said trough. 